With the 2012 Summer Olympics coming up, many people are looking through various vacation travel packages and booking their tickets to visit London this summer. London has a rich history, a lively culture and a delightful atmosphere. If you are thinking of traveling to London, but are not sure of what it has to offer, keep reading and I’ll share with you some of my experiences there.

Vacation Travel Packages – Enjoy The Scenery When You Visit The London Bridge

The scenery is just remarkable, especially during the evening. If you love photography, you definitely cannot give this place a miss! If you’re not into photography though, you could still check this place out. Like I said, the scenery is just remarkable! The calm of the river is worlds apart from the hustle and bustle that you usually see on the capital’s roads.

Vacation Travel Packages – Experience Royalty At Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is another delightful tourist destination, and if you’re lucky, you could even get a chance to witness the changing of guards ceremony! This ceremony is also conducted with a military band, so you’ll get to enjoy some military band music.

Besides being home to the British Monarch, Buckingham Palace is also the home of various pieces of art from the Royal Collection. You’ll get to see drawings and paintings from the likes of Rembrandt, Da Vinci and Michelangelo, just to name a few. You’ll also get a chance to see some exquisite pieces of furniture, sculptures, tapestries and more! This is definitely a must-see destination for those who love art.

Vacation Travel Packages – Get A Panoramic View Of The Entire City From The London Eye

The London Eye is Europe’s largest Ferris wheel and a popular tourist attraction for many tourists. Hop on board the London Eye and you’ll get to enjoy a breathtaking view from the top. You’ll be able to see various parts of London from the top. Many vacation travel packages offer this destination as part of their itinerary. That’s how popular a destination the London Eye is!

Vacation Travel Packages – Get In Touch With Nature At Hampstead Heath

Hampstead Heath, or the Heath, as the locals call it, is a huge park where you can find lots of lush greenery, ponds and a refuge for wildlife. This is a popular choice for the locals if they want to get some fresh air and walk their dog. The locals also come here if they want to escape the busy lifestyle and the daily grind. Sometimes, you’ll even see people having picnics here!

The London Olympics is still some time away. Why not take some time to visit one of these destinations? Be sure to look through various vacation travel packages to check if you’ll be going to any of these places.

The best vacations happen mostly because of good travel agents. This is why selecting a travel agent is a task that you should focus on. A remarkable agent is one who will ask a lot of questions such as where your vacation will take place, the reason for it, how much your budget is, the activities you want to do, etc. Once you work with fine travel agents, you can expect your trip to be unforgettable, enjoyable, and one that fits your budget.

When it comes to selecting travel agents, there are a few pointers to remember. First you have to know your needs. Of course, a good travel agent will without doubt ask about your needs, but it is still easier if you volunteer the information yourself. You have to share with your agent the following information:

Part of the process of remarkable travel agent selection is for you to ask the right questions. You should find out if the agent has his or her specialties e.g. cruise line specialty, island hopping specialty, and the likes. Prior to selecting an agent, you should also ask if you can contact your agent 24 x 7, or if there are only specific times within the day that he or she is available for questions and concerns. Another essential question to ask is what kind of services the travel agent offers and how much is the fee per service.

When choosing travel agents, you also have to consider how knowledgeable they are. For example, a travel agent who only knows everything about cruises, but is not that knowledgeable about vacation sprees involving hiking, camping, etc. may not be suited for you if you and your family love being one with nature during your trip. Likewise, a full time agent may also be more knowledgeable and may be able to give better deals than an agent who works part time.

In the process of selecting an agent, you should also decide whether you need an agent with good product knowledge, fine destination knowledge, or both. For instance, you have travelled to Hawaii for a couple of times and know which hotel you want to stay at, but have no idea about the current price of tours and activities in the island – what you need is one with the product knowledge who will be able to present you with affordable packages that suit your likes or needs. A person who is a first time traveler to Hawaii, on the other hand, may benefit more by selecting a traveling agent who has both the destination and the product knowledge.

Finding the right agent for your planned vacation may seem difficult at first, but by knowing what you want to do, where you want to stay, your budget, and so on, you will easily get to transact with a good travel agent who will make your trip worthwhile.

Packed with art galleries and museums, and with tangible relics of its recent history everywhere you look, Berlin is one of the most culturally engaging cities in the world. Which is just one of the reasons why so many language students choose to do a German course in Berlin.

With opportunities for students to learn more about this fascinating city literally around every corner, it can all seem a bit overwhelming at first. Here, then, is a quick roundup of five of the most educational Berlin experiences.

1. Deutsches Historisches Museum

Want to learn about the history of Germany? Where else would you go but the German Historical Museum, then? Appropriately positioned in the very heart of the city, on Unter den Linden, the Deutsches Historisches Museum is an educational titan and an absolute must for any student on a German course in Berlin.

With over 8,000 artifacts and historical objects scattered across two floors, the permanent collection is a thing of wonder. Covering the last 2,000 years of German history in the most thorough way, it’s the perfect place in which to lose yourself on a rainy day in the city.

2. Berlin Zoo

Why, when Berlin art galleries and museums are so remarkable, would you even consider going to a zoo? The answer lies in the fact that Berlin Zoo holds the largest collection of species of any zoo in the world.

A little to the west of the Tiergarten, it’s a fantastic day out that provides a remarkable insight into an almost impossibly wide variety of animals. There’s even the opportunity to catch a glimpse (through his adoring crowds) of local celebrity Knut the Polar Bear!

3. Gemaldegalerie

The Gemaldegalerie is to art galleries in Berlin, what the Deutsches Historisches Museum is to Berlin museums – the crowning glory. And what makes it so special isn’t merely the array of staggering works (one of the most comprehensive in Europe) from artists like Vermeer, Raphael, Rubens, Titian, Rembrandt and Caravaggio.

No, what makes it so special is the remarkable way in which the gallery is laid out. You get a real sense of order, vision and, as you wander from room to room, the sensation that collections both work in isolation, and still contribute to a wonderfully unified whole.

4. Topography of Terror

Standing in the former cells of the Gestapo Headquarters (now, mercifully, exposed to the elements) and flanked by one of the last remaining, sullen stretches of the Berlin Wall, ‘enjoy’ isn’t the word for the Topography of Terror.

However, it is, nevertheless, an essential educational experience in Berlin. What it does is usher you along a fascinating journey through one of the most terrible sagas in history, and chillingly lays out the often curiously banal face of human wickedness.

5. Coffee in Kreuzberg

High culture, history and art are all very well, but for the student on a German course in Berlin, the best way to get under the skin of the city is to do, well, nothing. Sitting back over a coffee on Bergamanstrasse in Kreuzberg and watching Berlin go about its business, is the best possible introduction to understanding the unique rhythms of this fascinating city.